First Idaho Costa's Hummingbird -- Ada County, Idaho

FIRST IDAHO STATE RECORD ¹
(Pending Acceptance by Idaho Bird Records Committee)

COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD -- Calypte costae

14 October 2004 -- 26 January 2005
Meridian, Ada County

Report prepared 8 November 2004 for submittal to Idaho Bird Record's Committee
Details based on photos and banding notes / measurements taken 8 November
Submitted by: Stacy Jon Peterson
4442 Sijan St. Apt. A
Mtn Home AFB, ID 83648
Stacy@trochilids.com
Federal master banding permit #23148

On 1 November 2004, I received an email from Greg Wardwell, hummingbird-bander in training and owner of the Bird House and Habitat store in Eagle, Idaho. Greg stated that he had just received a call from Valerie Novak of Meridian who had a hummingbird coming to her feeder. Based on our previous experience with these late birds, we figured there was a good chance it was another Anna's. I called Valerie immediately and tried to arrange for a time to visit to confirm it. It was difficult arranging our various schedules, but finally on Monday, 8 November, we both had the opportunity to try to verify this bird, which had apparently been around since 14 October.

The weather upon arrival shortly after 9 AM was foggy and cold -- high 30s/low 40s, much as it had been for the last few days. Mrs. Novak invited me inside and almost immediately we observed the bird coming to the feeder outside her large living room window. My binoculars fogged up quickly indoors, so I wasn't able to get a good look, but the basic body shape, dark head and darker ventral surface did suggest a Calypte hummingbird.

After I set up my trap on the deck, with the feeder inside, I didn't have long to wait. The bird entered readily and the door was closed. Upon approaching the trap I heard the bird vocalizing, and it was immediately clear to me that the bird was not an Anna's as we'd thought, but was instead a COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD. I had been in California for a hummingbird bander's conference in early August and had banded a couple Costa's there and recalled the very distinctive vocalizations. Costa's' calls remind me of Bushtit's -- high, wispy, and "light" -- quite unlike the distinctive "chips" of most of the rest of our hummingbirds, and clearly different from its closest "local" relative (Anna's Hummingbird).

When I got closer, the purplish feathers on the head were evident as well. This bird was removed from the trap and taken indoors for banding and processing. Video was obtained using a Digital Video (DV) camera (Canon Elura 60). After release, the bird returned quickly and often to the feeder over the next 45 minutes or so while I was there.

UPDATE: The bird was last observed on 26 January 2005. See the comparative photo page for further information on subsequent encounters.

DETAILS: The culmen had about 30% corrugations, indicating an immature ("hatch year") bird. The retrices and remiges were all fresh and in pristine shape, with no evidence of molt in progress; molt had been completed. The tail was "adult male" -- r5 was very sharp and narrow. None of the feathers had significant white tips -- they were largely dark in coloration, with r1s being more greenish. These are "adult-plumaged" tail feathers.

The throat had a nice triangular patch of purple gorget feathers in the center, with a few "stray" purple feathers of large size on the lateral sides of the cheek. The un-gorgeted area of the throat was very dusky and dark brownish in coloration. A number of gorget feathers were also present in scattered locales on the hindcrown and upper nape. The forecrown was a distinctly different shade of brown/tan compared to the darker green mid and hind crown (with scattered purple feathers). The lower edge of the throat beneath the gorget was white, which extended onto the sides of the neck and up behind the eye.

The rest of the back feathers were largely green without tan feather edgings, except for some very slight edging to the feathers on the upper rump. The center of the feathers on the flanks and belly were largely greenish, with a whiter ventral line extending from the lower belly to the throat (sort of like a "tuxedo" similar to that seen in Olive-sided Flycatcher).

MEASUREMENTS in hand: Exposed culmen: 17.13 mm. Wing cord: 42.80 mm. Tail length (thin plastic ruler under r1): 23 mm. Fat score: 1 on scale of 0-4.

This was clearly an immature ("hatch year") male Costa's Hummingbird based on vocalization, plumage characteristics, and measurements as described above. I have significant experience observing Costa's Hummingbirds in the field; we lived in southern California for a number of years. As previously stated, I've also banded a handful of Costa's and Anna's Hummingbirds within the past year.

For photographic comparisons of the head molt sequence during subsequent recaptures on 5 December 2004 and 25 January 2005, click here.


Figure 1. Gorget and throat on right side of face. Note the dark "throat" that is NOT irridescent gorget feather, as well as the purple feathers behind the eye.	Figure 2. The nice triangle of large gorget feathers on the center of the throat is visible here. Also note the non-irridescent dark feathers outlinging the throat.	Figure 3. The left side of the throat contained a few more colored gorget feathers than the right side, including 1 rather large one on the lower edge.

Figure 4. Some of the irridenscent feathering is visible on the crown. Also note the brownish forecrown.	Figure 5. The brownish forecrown is very noticeable. Most of the irridescent feathers on the crown are invisible at this angle...	Figure 6. The nape was largely green with white sides of the throat visible. The upper back was also mostly greenish.

Figure 7. The rump did not contrast markedly in color with the lower back. Note also the green central tail feathers. The whitish tips to the retrices are largely photographic artifact (compare Figure 11).	Figure 8. The ventral surface was mostly greenish, as typical of Calypte hummingbirds. Note the central whitish line down the central of the belly..	Figure 9. Note the large greenish centers to the feathers of the under tail coverts. Also note the slightly forked tail and the relative lentfh of tail to wing.

Figure 10. The fairly uniform width of the inner primaries and outer primaries is a distinguishing feature of Calypte hummingbirds.	Figure 11. The very narrow outer retrice and the lack of white tips further support sexing this bird as a male.	Figure 12. The lack of notching on the inner vane of the inner primaries rules out an Archilochus hummingbird (such as Black-chinned).

Figure 13. The dark throat is set off nicely by the white feathers on the upper chest and neck.	Figure 14. The relatively short tail in flight and the plump appearance all support Costa's.	Figure 15. The white "T" or "tuxedo" appearance on the belly is shown on this perched bird.

¹ There is another report of an adult male Calypte hummingbird seen in northern Idaho in May 1996 that has been variously described by different observers as an Anna's, Costa's, or a hybrid between the two. Sheri Williamson, hummingbird bander and author of the hummingbird guide in the Peterson Field Guide series has seen some of these photos and believes this bird to be a likely hybrid. This record will be recirculated among the Idaho Bird Records Committee, and if accepted as a "pure" Costa's, will represent the first record: the Meridian bird would then be the second.

PATTERN OF VAGRANCY-- Costa's Hummingbird is long overdue in Idaho in my opinion. While this is largely a non-migratory species (at least it doesn't migrate great distances compared to our other Idaho hummingbirds), it has shown a striking ability for post-breeding dispersal that staggers the mind, particularly in the last half decade (map below), even showing up as far north as Alaska. Virtually all the reports are of males, except for a few banded birds, perhaps owing to the difficulty in conclusively identifying extralimital female hummingbirds in the field.

That one would end up in southwestern Idaho is not surprising, and I predict this species will be documented with increasing frequency in this state as the years go by, especially with more and more people aware that late-season hummingbirds tend to be "rare" wanderers. If you see a "late" hummingbird that hangs around your yard for a day or two, please let me know so we can document it more fully.

Extralimital Costa's Hummingbird Records
in North America outside California and rest of breeding range

Year round (browns) and summering (pinks) range of Costa's Hummingbird in the USA.
Dashed lines show extremes of breeding range.
Red dots depict locales where Costa's were confirmed (small dots indicate single records, larger dots indicate multiple records per town);
Data gleaned from RBAs, Listservs, and published journals.
Data verified by Bird Records Committees in many cases.
Extralimital Reports for Costa's Hummingbird in the Lower 48

Map from Trochilids Web Page; Winter Hummingbird Records.
To see records for this season (2004 / 2005 fall & winter), click here.

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